James haktness



(No Model.)

J. HARTNESS.

CLEANER FOR GUN BARRELS.

No. 388,133. Patented Aug. 21, 1888.

N4 FLTERS, PhOloLilhognpharwimin m, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT rErcE.

JAMES HARTNESS, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIONHARDWARE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CLEANER FoR GUNHBARRELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,133, dated August21, 1888.

Application filed June 11, 1888. Serial No. 276,740.

.To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES HAR'rNEss, of Torrington, in the county ofLitchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement inCleaners for Gun-Barrels, &c.; and the following is declared to be adescrip tion of the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in implements for cleaninggun-barrels and other tubes; and the object of the same is to make abrush or cleaner that will rub or scrape the inner surface of the gunbarrel or tube and remove particles adhering thereto, which. brush orcleaner is capable of scraping in either a forward or backwarddirection, and reaching from the extreme end of the muzzle to theextreme end of the breech, and which cleaner shall have a maximum numberof hearing or scraping points and possess ample stiffness and rigidity,and which cleaner is also durable and cheaply constructed.

My invention consists in a cleaner for gunbarrels and other tubes,wherein I combine with a shank adapted to be screwed or otherwisesecured to a cleaning-rod a cleaner formed of double-ended metalbristles composed of spring wire, the central portion of which bristlesare looped or recessed and covered by an encircling ring, which forms aloose joint, but secures said bristles to the shank before named, andthe free ends of which bristles are beveled or chisel-pointed, thespring of the bristles being outward from a common axial line andadapted to bear against the inuersurface of the gun-barrel when placedwithin the same, and to clean said barrel in both the forward andbackward movement.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improvedcleaner. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the extreme positions ofthe bristles in relation to the shank. Fig. 3 is an end view of thecleaner in the position of Fig. 1.

(t represents the short stem or shank, having a shoulder at 1 and ascrew end at 2, by which said shank is secured to the cleaningrod a. Theforward end of the shank has a shoulder at 3, and is made with acircular groove circumferentially at 4, and provided with a stem at 5,and there is a ring, b, hav- (No model.)

ing a circular circumferential groove, which ring is adapted to fit overthe stem 5 and to be secured in place by riveting the head of the stem.The circular grooved end 4 and the circular groove of the ring I)together form the arc of a circle.

0 represents the wire bristles, the central portion of each of whichbristles is looped or recessed at 6 and adapted to be received into thecircular groove formed by the portion 4 and the ring Z), and whose armsare bent at or form an obtuse angle to each other in their normalposition, and the ends of said wire bristles are beveled or madechisel-pointed, and there is an encircling ring, (I, which surrounds thelooped or recessed portion of the bristles and retains the same in thegroove before named, but forms a loosejoint, in which the bristles arefree to move, it being understood that the wire bristles lie within thering and around the circular grooved portion ofthe shank in a solidmass, the one touching the other, so that as confined by the ring theyare free to move with a seesaw motion up and down, but without anylateral motion, the spring of the bristles being outward from a commonaxial line through the shank, so that when said bunch of bristles isinserted into the gun-barrel their ends all bear against the innersurface of the barrel with an even tension.

The ring I) may be threaded and screwed upon the stem 5, instead ofbeing riveted to place, and,ifdesired,the ring may be dispensed with anda groove made around the end ofthe shank instead, in which case theencircling ring (I is preferably made of spring metal and openedsufficient to allow the entering of one wire bristle at a time withinsaid ring between said ring and the shank, and after all the bristleshave been passed beneath the ring the ring is allowed to spring shut andconfine the bristles in place.

I prefer to employ a split-metal spring-ring, f, surrounding the brushof bristles and the ring (I, which ringf will be moved along over thebristles upon one contracting end as the other end expands, and thisringf serves to hold the bristles at the contracted end, mak ing iteasier to insert this end into the gunbarrel.

The operation of the cleaner is as follows: In Fig. l I have shown theend of the gunbarrel or other tube in the position it would occupy inrelation to the cleaner, the outer points of the cleaner beingconsolidated and encircled by the ring f, in order to introduce thecleaner into the gun-barrel or other tube. After the cleaner passesintothe gun-barrel beyond the point indicated by the lines as m, Fig. 2, theexpanded ends of the bristles are forced inward and the inner endsexpanded in the operation of introducing the cleaner, so that when thecleaner is within the barrel or tube all the points of the bristles bearagainst the metal of the barrel or tube and the ring f will occupy acentral position, and a forwardand backward movement imparted to thecleaner causes the points of the bristles,which operate in bothdirections,to scrape and clean the barrel or tube of any pieces orobstructions that may have lodged in the barrel or in the rifling of thesame, or in a tube of any description,into which the cleaner may havebeen inserted.

I am aware that a gun cleaner has heretofore been made having a singlebrush of bristles, which in a normal position was retained within asheath or case, the same being introduced within the gunbarrel and thebristles projected therefrom to clean the barrel; but in my case Idispense with any sheath or cover and construct the bristlesdouble'euded and with a pivotal central connection, so that they arethereby adapted to do their work quicker and better than devicesheretofore constructed.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A cleaner for gu n-barrels and other tubes,consisting of a brush of wire bristles pivotally secured between theirends to a shank adapted for holding the same and for attachment to acleaning-rod, said bristles being arranged side by side and forming acircular brush around the shank, all combined substantially asspecified.

2. A gun or tube cleaner composed of the shank at, having a groove aboutits end,in combination with a brush of bristles adapted to surround theshank and be received in its concave end, and a ring for surrounding thebristles and for holding said bristles to said shank, substantially asset forth.

3. A gun or tube cleaner composed of the shank a, adapted to be attachedto a cleaningrod at one end and having a circumferential groove at theother end, a brush or cleaner composed of wire bristles a, each of whichbristles is centrally looped or recessed and adapted to fit into thegroove of the shank,and whose arms are bent at an obtuse angle to eachother, and whose ends are pointed, and a ring, d, encircling the brushof bristles at their central loop or recess to hold the same in placeupon the shank and permit a seesaw motion to said bristles,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination,with the shank a,adapted to be secured to acleaning-rod and having a shoulder, 3, grooved end 4, and stem 5, of aring, b, having a grooved end adapted to fit upon and be secured to thestem 5, the brush of wire bristles c, centrally looped or recessed at 6and fitting around the shank in a solid mass, the arms of which bristlesare at an obtuse angle to each other and pointed, and an encirclingring, (I, which forms a loose joint,

but secures the brush of wire bristles to the shank a, substantially asset forth.

5. A gun or tube cleaner composed of the shank a, adapted to be attachedto a cleaningrod at one end and having a circumferential groove at theother end, a brush or cleaner composed of wire bristles 0, each of whichbristles is centrally looped or recessed and adapted to fit into thegroove of the shank,and whose arms are bent at an obtuse angle to eachother, and whose ends are pointed, and a ring, d, encircling the brushof bristles at their central loop or recess to hold the same in placeupon the shank, and a ring, f, surrounding the brush of bristles andadapted to move endwise upon the same, substantially as specified.

Signed byme this 6th day of June, 1888.

JAMES HARTNESS.

Witnesses:

JOHN N. BRooKs, E. J. BEACH.

